Wire stripper



E. N. THOMSON WIRE STRIPPER Nov. 15, 1955 Filed Oct. 5, 1953 E i N. Thomson WIRE S IPPER' Eli N. Thomson, Midland, Tex. Application October 5, 1953, Serial No. 384,293 2 Claims. (Cl. 81-9.5)

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a tool or implement which may be handily and expeditiously used to aptly and satisfactorily cut and cleanly strip insulation from various makes of wires.

More specifically, the invention appertains to a wire stripper which is especially satisfactory in enabling the user to remove insulation from various makes of magnet insulated wire, such as used in electric motors, generators, transformers, and other electrical appliances using the stated type of wire.

An object of the invention is to structurally, functionally, and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing wire strippers and, in doing so, to provide a simple, practical and economical instrumentality in which manufacturers, retailers and users in general will find their respective requirements and needs satisfactorily met.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pair of resilient arms are connected together at corresponding ends so that the arms are thus disposed in normal spaced parallelism, said arms having laterally bent outer ends, said outer ends being especially designed to provide complemental jaws which may be squeezed or pressed together against the insulated covering so that the same may be severed and subsequently pulled or stripped from the wire proper, in well-known stripper fashion.

More explicitly, the jaws are unique in that they are provided with finger-like extensions, the latter being disposed constantly in relatively slidable overlapping relation, the jaws being normally spread apart and, with the aid of the fingers, providing an entrance opening through which the wire may be readily inserted and positioned for cutting and stripping. I

Other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire stripper constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale partly in section and partly in elevation; and

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the structure seen in Figure 2, looking at the same in a direction from left to right in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings by way of reference numerals, it will be seen that there are three essential components or parts; namely, a pair of duplicate companion substantially L-shaped resilient members 4 and 6, and an intervening assembling and connecting block 8. The latter is a simple rectangular block with flat lengthwise surfaces -10. Each L-shaped member comprises a one-piece L-shaped metal strap which is characterized by a long arm embodying a resilient portion 12 and a shank portion 14. The latter is superimposed on the surface 10 and is accessibly secured to said surface 2,723,575 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 by screws or the like as at 1616. The laterally directed short arm of each L-shaped member is denoted at 18' and this forms one of the jaws. The, two jaws are identical in construction and therefore have the desired mating or companionate relationship. In this connection, the jaws may be said to embody spaced-apart terminal end portions 20 and 22, and relatively narrow finger-like extensions 24 and 26. These extensions bridge the space between end portions 20 and 22 and are normally overlapped and have requisite sliding cooperation so that by squeezing the respective arms 12-12 together, the end portions 20 and 22 of the jaws come together in desired relationship. The jaws, in addition, are provided with semicircular notches 28 and 30 which are appropriately beveled to provide cooperating cutting knives. With this construction the cutting knives are spaced apart and an entrance opening 32 is thus provided to one side of said notches. This defines an unobstructed entrance opening and thus facilitates placing of the insulated wire in the space between the stated cutting knives. The overlapping finger-like extensions 24 and 26 facilitate the step of quick-positioning and holding the wire in place so that it seats naturally in line with the cutting knives. Or, to put it otherwise, the coacting overlapping extensions 24 and 26 are situated to the left of the notches and handily serve as stop elements and line up the wire with the cutting knives. This carefully planned cooperation of the parts avoids fumbling and expedites the use of the tool. To remove insulation with this tool, all that is necessary is to place the insulated wire (not shown) through the space or entrance 32 where it is then in a ready-to-cutand-strip position. Then, the arms 1212 are grasped and forcibly squeezed so that the cutting blades or knives 28 and 30 come together. That is to say, the hole is closed around the wire covering and by holding the wire suitably and pulling the tool along the same, in a now well-known fashion, the insulation is readily peeled or stripped off.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construcion shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A wire cutting and stripping tool comprising a foundation and handle-forming block, a pair of complemental substantially L-shaped resilient members having long arms and short arms, said long arms providing shank portions, said shank portions being superimposed on and accessibly and detachably fastened to cooperating marginal edge portions of said block, the respective short arms being directed laterally toward each other and having terminal end portions spaced apart and provided with cooperating edge-sharpened notches constituting normally spaced cutting knives, and also having relatively narrow overlapping finger-like extensions, said extensions being situated at one side and clear of the position of said notches and bridging said one side of the space between said terminal end portions and functioning as stops, whereby to facilitate the step of readily inserting the covered wire into the space between said cutting knives.

2. A wire cutting and stripping tool comprising a pair of substantially duplicate complemental L-shaped resilient members each having a long arm providing a shank portion and a lateral relatively short arm providing a jaw portion, handle means interposed between the respective shank portions, said shank portions being superimposed on and accessibly fastened to cooperating marginal edge portions of said handle means, the shank portions substantially paralleling each other and projecting beyond one end portion of the handle means and serving to position the short arms in longitudinally spaced relation in respect to said one end portion, said short arms being directed laterally toward each other and having notched terminal end portions spaced apart, said notches having sharpened edge portions constituting cooperating normally spaced cutting knives, said short arms also having relatively narrow finger-like extensions, said 10 extensions being situated to one side and clear of the position of said notches and bridging said one side of the space between said terminal end portions and functioning as stops, whereby to facilitate the step of readily inserting the covered wire into the space between said cutting knives.

Bollerman Oct. 2, 1928 Potter Jan. 25, 1954 

